I wanted to test some harsh lighting and low-key lighting techniques. Harsh lighting can make for dramatic shots or make them more intense. That’s also why people like to use harsh lighting in horror shots, except in those cases the lighting comes from below. And sometimes a 4-year-old sneaks on your set and into your shot without you even knowing it.
For these shots I just wanted to go back to modifying a snoot with two pieces of tape. I still haven’t quite got this technique down. It just seems off. However, it worked out a little better when I put a light in back and did the same to light up some of the background.
The point though is that you can build your own light modifications. In this case I used two pieces of gaffers tape, but I’ve made make shift soft boxes with cutup cloth and other light modifiers with cut cardboard. You just have to figure out what you are trying to do. One thing I like to do before I make a light modifier purchase is try and see if I can make a garbage homemade version to test the technique. If I really like it, I can always buy an actual quality version shortly after. For example, my first snoot was a pringles can that barely stayed on. I liked the effect so much I now have a professional grade snoot that I use often, probably too much.